Damping element

Abstract

The invention relates, inter alia, to a damping element for a container receiving pocket of a container transport starwheel. The damping element has an elastically deformable damping section which has a contact face for contacting a container. The damping element has a preferably elastically deformable mounting section for mounting the damping element in the container receiving pocket of the container transport starwheel. The damping section and the mounting section are formed from a plurality of adjacent, preferably additively manufactured, material layers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A damping element for a container receiving pocket of a container transport starwheel, wherein the damping element comprises:
 an elastically deformable damping section having a contact face for contacting a container; and   a mounting section for mounting the damping element in the container receiving pocket of the container transport starwheel,   wherein the damping section and the mounting section are formed from a plurality of adjacent material layers.   
     
     
         2 . The damping element according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
 the material layers are made of an elastically deformable plastic; and   the damping element has as a whole due to its design and material a Shore A hardness of between 30 and 90.   
     
     
         3 . The damping element according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
 the contact face is roughened; and   the contact face has a predetermined profiling, texturing or patterning to increase friction between the container and the contact face.   
     
     
         4 . The damping element according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following conditions is met:
 the damping section and the mounting section merge directly into one another;   the damping section and the mounting section are integrally joined to one another; and   the damping element is a one-piece design.   
     
     
         5 . The damping element according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a common outer contour formed by the damping section and the mounting section substantially corresponds to a hat outer contour.   
     
     
         6 . The damping element according to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of:
 the common outer contour substantially corresponds to a bowler hat outer contour;   the damping section forms a hat crown of the hat outer contour; and   the mounting section forms a hat brim of the hat outer contour.   
     
     
         7 . The damping element according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
 the damping section has a trough shape or shell shape; and   the damping section has a recess.   
     
     
         8 . The damping element according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
 the mounting section is elastically deformable;   the plurality of adjacent material layers are additively manufactured;   the material layers are made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU);   the material layers are made of TPU with a Shore A hardness of between 70 and 95;   the damping element has the Shore A hardness of between 30 and 80;   the damping element has the Shore A hardness of between 30 and 50;   the damping section has a central recess; and   the damping section has a depression.   
     
     
         9 . The damping element according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the damping section has a contact lip on which the contact face is arranged.   
     
     
         10 . The damping element according to  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the following conditions is met:
 the contact lip is curved;   the contact face is arranged in an apical region of the contact lip;   the contact lip laterally delimits a recess of the damping section;   a material thickness of the contact lip increases toward a free end of the contact lip, and   the contact lip has an essentially wedge-shaped cross-section in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal course of the contact lip.   
     
     
         11 . The damping element according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the following conditions is met:
 the contact lip is C-shaped;   the contact lip laterally delimits a depression of the damping section; and   the material thickness of the contact lip increases toward the free end of the contact lip at least one of continuously and uniformly.   
     
     
         12 . The damping element according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the damping section further comprises a side wall which is connected to the contact lip.   
     
     
         13 . The damping element according to  claim 12 , wherein at least one of:
 the side wall delimits a recess of the damping section on the bottom side; and   the contact lip is perpendicular to the side wall.   
     
     
         14 . The damping element according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the side wall has a material thickness between 0.4 mm and 1.5 mm.   
     
     
         15 . The damping element according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 a material thickness of the contact lip increases starting from the side wall in a direction at least one of away from the side wall and toward a free end of the contact lip.   
     
     
         16 . The damping element according to  claim 12 , wherein at least one of:
 the side wall is connected to the contact lip at least one of at a longitudinal edge of the contact lip and along an entire longitudinal course of the contact lip;   the side wall delimits a depression of the damping section on the bottom side;   the side wall has a material thickness between 0.6 mm and 1 mm;   the side wall has the material thickness of about 0.8 mm;   a material thickness of the contact lip increases starting from the side wall in a direction at least one of away from the side wall and toward a free end of the contact lip at least one of continuously and uniformly; and   the material thickness of the contact lip increases starting from the side wall in the direction at least one of away from the side wall and toward the free end of the contact lip from approximately 1 mm at the side wall to approximately 2 mm at the free end.   
     
     
         17 . The damping element according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following conditions is met:
 the mounting section is at least one of elongated and plate-shaped;   the damping section extends outwardly from a central region of the mounting section;   the mounting section laterally delimits a recess of the damping section; and   at least one of opposite ends of the mounting section project beyond the damping section and each opposite end of the mounting section has a recess.   
     
     
         18 . A transport starwheel for transporting containers, wherein the transport starwheel comprises:
 a plurality of damping elements according to  claim 1 ; and   at least one starwheel plate which has a plurality of container receiving pockets distributed around its circumference, wherein in each of the container receiving pockets at least one of the plurality of damping elements for damping a reception of a container is arranged in the relevant container receiving pocket.   
     
     
         19 . A method for producing a damping element according to  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises
 additively manufacturing the damping element with the damping section and the mounting section.   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product having instructions causing an additive manufacturing apparatus to:
 produce a damping element according to  claim 1  in a plurality of material layers in an additive manufacturing process.